World English Bible

Ecclesiastes 2:20-26 World English Bible (WEB)

20. Therefore I began to cause my heart to despair concerning all the labor in which I had labored under the sun.

21. For there is a man whose labor is with wisdom, with knowledge, and with skillfulness; yet he shall leave it for his portion to a man who has not labored for it. This also is vanity and a great evil.

22. For what has a man of all his labor, and of the striving of his heart, in which he labors under the sun?

23. For all his days are sorrows, and his travail is grief; yes, even in the night his heart takes no rest. This also is vanity.

24. There is nothing better for a man than that he should eat and drink, and make his soul enjoy good in his labor. This also I saw, that it is from the hand of God.

25. For who can eat, or who can have enjoyment, more than I?

26. For to the man who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge, and joy; but to the sinner he gives travail, to gather and to heap up, that he may give to him who pleases God. This also is vanity and a chasing after wind.